The Most Unlikely Foe
by What Lurks In Shadows
Summary: Lord of the Rings crossover in which a certain stewards son gets the entire Fellowship into a whole new kind of trouble when he unwittingly wishes away the Elven member of their party into the hands of the Goblin King. Some slash COMPLETED
1. Say The Right Words

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
This story just kind of popped into my head while I had a particularly slow and boring day at work and I just haven't been able to shake it. So I figured I'd at least write it out and stop myself from driving myself crazy.  
Warnings for some adult content and slash but it's nothing really nothing too graphic. Some unconsenting concepts but these are even tamer.  
Anyway hope you enjoy it and please review so I know how it's going.

Disclaimer:  
I do not own in any way, shape or form the characters and places from either Labyrinth or The Lord Of The Rings. I am not making any money by posting this and would never dream of taking credit for the work of others.

One  
Say The Right Words

"If you'll just let me…"

"I do not need your help starting a fire, Elf. Go find another use for your many apparent talents."

Boromir continued trying to get a spark as he clashed a rock against his sword. He hunched his shoulders over so that the Elf standing behind him couldn't see how much difficulty he was having.

Legolas sighed heavily and left Boromir to continue his attempts at getting the fire going.

"Stubborn man." He whispered under his breath as he went.

Boromir shot the Elf's back a nasty look before he doubled his efforts with rock and sword.

Legolas sat down beside Aragorn who was trying to keep the spirits of the shivering Hobbits up.

"Any luck with the fire?" He asked the blond Elf beside him.

"It shouldn't be too long now."

He forced a smile for the sake of the Hobbits before getting up and making his way over to the Elven canoes, given to them by the Elves of Lothlorien. He busied himself making sure they were all well above the river line so that they would not be swept away in the night.

The sky was dark everyone's spirits were still low, despite their visit to the Elven sanctuary of Lothlorien. Gimli sat with Aragorn and the Hobbits and even he was beginning to feel the chill of the night.

"I'll be glad when the morning comes, it's awful cold tonight." Sam murmured.

Merry and Pippin nodded in agreement and Aragorn smiled down at them. Frodo remained silent and unmoving, his eyes seeming to stare off into some place the others couldn't see.

Legolas returned to where the others were sitting but did not sit down himself. The Elf began pacing across the small campsite and would occasionally make his way over to where Boromir was to check on his progress.

The man emitted a low growling noise to inform the Elf of his dislike of the constant surveillance he was receiving from him. Legolas chose to ignore Boromir's protests and instead continued his pacing.

"You have too much energy Legolas." Aragorn laughed up at the Elf.

Legolas flashed him a smile before once again returning to stand behind Boromir.

"Honestly Boromir if you'll just allow me to…"

"For heavens sake Legolas I do not need your help! You are fast becoming the most annoying thing I've ever encountered! Now leave me alone!"

"But if you just…"

"I do not need you Elf! Go away!" He groaned loudly before muttering under his breath. "I wish Goblins would come and take you away right now, they at least might be able to find a use for your carcase."

He jerked his head upwards as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and was closely followed by its companion boom of thunder. Turning his head first left and then right before standing and spinning on his heals. There was no sign of the Elf he had been yelling at only seconds ago.

"Legolas?" His voice sounded unsure and was far from steady.

Another flash of lighting followed by thunder, louder this time, caused him to jump. The moon was the only source of light, when lightning wasn't racing across the sky, and it was difficult to see anything. A heavy hand upon his shoulder caused him to jump again.

"Aragorn! You scarred the life out me."

"You're still standing Boromir." Aragorn smiled at his bad joke but saw a very real fear in Boromir's eyes. "Boromir, where did this storm come from?"

"I…I don't know…have you seen Legolas?"

"No I thought he was over here with you."

Their world suddenly plunged into darkness as dark storm clouds crowded over the moon. Both men cast their blind eyes about but couldn't see anything. Aragorn still had his hand on Boromir's shoulder and now gripped it tighter in the dark.

A flash of lighting, brighter than any before it lit up the small pebbled beach they'd landed on and Boromir caught sight of a tall blond figure before they were plunged into total darkness again.

"Legolas?" Boromir called out in the direction the figure had been.

Thunder rumbled and then abruptly the swirling winds kicked up by the storm stopped. The clouds parted from the moon and the thunder and lightening quietened down. Aragorn released his hold on Boromir's shoulder and both men exchanged a concerned look. Then they turned towards the tall blond figure, who was leaning casually against a large rock.

The long elegant lines of his body, coupled with his graceful hight and flaxen hair would have caused him to be easily mistaken for the Elf, were it not for this man's overly elaborate dress. He wore black knee-high boots over tight dark breeches, a billowy white shirt was barely visible under a dark dress-coat and the outfit was completed by a shimmering cloak with a high curved collar that came up to his ears. Mismatched eyes danced in the moonlight as wisps of uneven silver-blond hair caressed his beautiful face. He easily matched the missing Elf for beauty but while Legolas possessed a sort of pure quality this man's beauty was sinister and alluring.

The man cocked his head to the side as the two before him continued to stare. Black gloves covered long delicate fingers and he toyed with a riding crop he held in one hand.

"Where is Legolas?" Aragorn finally managed to ask.

The strange man tilted his head to the other side and flashed a devilish smile. Both Aragorn and Boromir were unnerved by this reaction and the man's oddity in general.

"Legolas?" He finally spoke, his voice beautifully accented and yet strangely cold.

He brought a long finger up to his face to tap lightly against his chin, seemingly trying to recall the name he had spoken.

"Ah yes, the Elf. What of him?"

Boromir and Aragorn stared blankly at him and were only snapped from their trance by the others arrival behind them.

"Aragorn what on earth is going on…" Gimli began to ask but stopped as his eye took in the stranger the two men were staring at.

"What do you mean 'what of him?'! What have you done with him?" Boromir fumed.

"What have I done with him?" He feigned a look of hurt before a sly smile tugged the corners of his mouth up. "Only what you, Boromir, asked of me."

"What do you mean?" Boromir asked in confusion.

"Wait a minute!" Aragorn interrupted. "Who are you?"

"I am the Goblin King." He stated simply, sure that they would know of him. All who called knew of him, even if they did not believe in him.

However the Dwarf, two Men, and four Hobbits stared blankly back at him.

An uneasy silence hung in the air for a few moments, during which Jareth shifted slightly, his usual composure thrown off slightly by this strange turn of events. In fact if he didn't know any better he'd say they truly had no idea who he was, but then how could one call upon him if one did not know of his existence. Never the matter, it would make it all the more interesting.

"Have you not read the book?" He finally broke the silence with a question that only seemed to puzzle them further.

"Book? What book?" Aragorn shook his head.

"My book…The Labyrinth." He smiled devilishly and the look of fear that passed over one of the Hobbits face did not escape him.

"The Labyrinth." Merry breathed quietly.

Pippin gave him a sidelong look and Aragorn turned to face him.

"You've heard of it?" He exclaimed.

"Well yeah but it's a stupid story my parents used to tell me and my siblings to scare us, it's not real." Merry shook his head slowly, trying to deny what was now becoming blatantly obvious.

Aragorn lent down and grasped the Hobbit's shoulder leaning in to speak closely with him.

"I don't know about you Merry but he looks pretty real to me."

"But is wasn't even a book! My parents just used to tell it to us." Merry exclaimed, more to Jareth than the others.

"Whether written or spoken a story is a story." Jareth responded slyly.

"Then where is Legolas?" Aragorn demanded.

"He's in my castle."

"And where is that!" Boromir yelled

"At the centre of the Labyrinth." Merry spoke up, his voice quivering slightly.

"You can't just take him to your castle!" Aragorn was furious with the Goblin King now.

"I am the Goblin King sir, I can do as I like. Besides, it was your friend here who wished the Elf into my possession."

"I did not!" Boromir protested.

"Yes you did!" Jareth hissed, frustrated now by their constant denial of the situation they had been presented with. "You spoke the words, you called my Goblins to come and take him and now he is gone."

"But I didn't…"

"Mean to? As if I haven't heard that one before." Jareth folded his arms across his chest.

"What are you going to do with him?" Pippin asked timidly.

"Turn him into a Goblin." Sharp canines flashed in the moonlight as Jareth smiled wickedly.

"No!" They all called out at once.

Jareth laughed at them and began to walk off.

"Wait! There must be something we can do to get him back!" Aragorn called out.

Jareth stopped and was thankful his back was to them as he growled quietly. He had been hoping to get away from this one without having to engage in his game.

"There is one way." He spun around to face them again. "You must solve my Labyrinth and reach the castle at its centre, then you may have your friend back."

"Deal." Aragorn answered quickly.

"Very well."

Jareth waved his hand in a circle through the air and behind him opened a window to the Underground. The small group stared in disbelief at the new world visible through the portal.

"It doesn't look that far." Gimli said optimistically.

"I've heard that before too." Jareth mused as he stepped through the portal into his world.

The others followed slowly until all but Aragorn, Frodo and Sam remained.

"But Aragorn." Frodo whispered up at the man. "What about the quest?"

"We can't just leave him there Frodo."

"You're right. You go save Legolas, I'll go onto Mordor."

"Frodo…" Aragorn started to protest.

"I'll go with him Strider. He's right, you need to go save Legolas." Sam spoke up.

Aragorn nodded and placed a comforting hand on Frodo's shoulder before he too stepped through the portal and into the Underground.


	2. The Entrance to the Labyrinth

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
Thanks so much for reviewing, the story gets going a little bit more from this point on. Please let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy this chapter and please review.

Two  
The Entrance to the Labyrinth

"Where are we?" Boromir asked as he gazed about the desolate landscape, his feet shifting slightly on the sand he stood on.

"The Underground." Jareth stated broadly.

"Is that your castle?" Aragorn asked as he pointed out the sinister looking castle in the distance.

Jareth nodded and waited for the next inane question.

"And that's the Labyrinth we have to get through?" Gimli questioned.

Jareth nodded again.

"Well then, let's get going." Aragorn said as he hurried down the sandy slope.

Everyone started after him before Jareth, who appeared suddenly before Aragorn forcing to stop him dead in his tracks, stopped them.

"One more thing. You must solve the Labyrinth in thirteen hours."

"What!" Boromir exploded. "You failed to mention that!"

Jareth smirked at them as his form faded from view until he completely disappeared.

"He's an odd one isn't he?" Pippin smiled. "Can't say I'd live here by choice."

"Yeah," Merry added, "his castle isn't even much of a castle."

The two Hobbits laughed between themselves before a stern look from Aragorn silenced them.

"Come on, this is serious. We have to find our way through this Labyrinth and we only have a limited time in which to do it."

"I wish Gandalf were here." Merry sighed. "He could probably cast a spell to show us the way through this maze or something."

"Well he's not now is he master Hobbit, so we will just have to get by without him." Gimli added.

They continued their trudge down the sandy slope, everyone careful to watch their step so as not to slip. They reached the bottom quickly enough and hurried over to the worn looking outer wall of the Labyrinth.

After following it for some minutes and finding no way in Aragorn stopped to pound his fists against the wall.

"Oh this is useless, there's no way into this accursed maze!"

"Well he can't lock us out before we've even been given a chance to run his Labyrinth. There must be some way in."

Boromir felt his way along the wall until his hands disappeared into a mess of ivy. The vines grew thickly over this part of the wall and as Boromir felt around inside them his hands brushed over what he thought like metal hinges.

"Quickly! I think there's a door here!"

Frantically they all began tugging at vines, which much to everyone's horror issued a horrible shrieking noise as they were ripped from the wall. Despite the awful noise they continued as slowly a door was reviled to them.

As they removed the last of the strangling ivy two heavy wooden doors stood before them, their handles and hinges were wrought iron. Aragorn pushed against them but they would not yield. He put more of his weight into it as he slammed his shoulder into the door. Again nothing. Boromir joined him and even with the two men throwing their entire weight against the doors they still could not get them to budge.

"Maybe you should just ask nicely." Merry pipped up.

Aragorn and Boromir gave him an odd look before he continued.

"In the story my mother used to tell the Underground was a place full of magic and almost everything, even things we wouldn't think of, was alive."

"What?" Pippin interjected. "We just say 'hey door, do you think you could be so kind as to open up for us? Please?'" Pippin laughed until he heard a creaking noise behind him.

He spun around just in time to see the two doors swing open on rusty hinges. Everyone stood in shocked silence and Pippin stared wide-eyed at the door before turning his look of disbelief towards the others.

"Let's not ask question huh? Let's just get inside." Gimli suggested.

The group of five hurried in through the doors and found themselves face to face with a crumbling stonewall. The doors slammed shut behind them and the group all exchanged a look. To their left was a seemingly never-ending hall of stone and to their right, much to their disappointment, was exactly the same thing. Merry was the first to speak.

"So, which way do we go?"

* * *

"I think it will take your friends awhile to find you." Jareth said as he flicked away the crystal he'd been watching the group in. 

He was lounging across his throne, his back propped up against one side with his legs thrown over the other.

"Where am I?"

The missing Elf stood in the sunken pit at the centre of the Goblin King's throne room. Goblins hurried about all around him, chasing chickens, drinking and behaving worse than any Dwarf Legolas had ever seen. He wrinkled his nose at their behaviour and Jareth laughed.

As the man who had introduced himself as the Goblin King had still not answered his question he tried again.

"Where am I?"

While the Elf stood staring him down with fiery eyes the Goblin King swept his eyes up and down the Elf's body. This didn't escape Legolas and he shifted uncomfortably under the hungry gaze.

"You, my lovely Elf, are in my castle."

"Yes you said that before but where is your castle?"

"At the centre of my Labyrinth." Jareth teased as he swung a leg loosely against the side of his throne.

"And where exactly is that?"

"Underground."

Jareth laughed loudly but paused when his Goblins failed to laugh with him.

"How many times have we been over this!" Jareth yelled in frustration.

His outburst was followed by a chorus of laughter form all the Goblins in the room, which he shortly joined in. Once he felt he had laughed enough he motioned for silence and not a sound was made.

Legolas was less than satisfied with the Goblin King's cryptic answers to his questions. He was even less impressed by the fact that he seemed to have been devastated of his weapons. Something which he did not remember occurring.

"Do you think it's fair to house me here unarmed?"

"Why would I allow a prisoner of mine to hold onto his weapons?" Jareth tapped his ridding crop against a black boot.

"So I'm a prisoner?"

"For now."

"What do you mean for now."

"Well you're technically in a sort of limbo at the moment. Your friends have chosen to run my Labyrinth to bargain for your freedom."

Legolas perked up visibly and even managed a smile at that.

"Yes I thought that would cheer you up. Anyway if they win, which of course they wont, you are set free to return to your world, etc." Jareth waved a hand elaborately through the air. "But if they fail…"

Legolas looked worried, not so much by the threatening comment but by the sinister look in Jareth's eyes.

"If they fail?"

"Then you, my pretty blond Elf, belong to me."

Legolas swallowed hard as Jareth rose up out of his throne and stalked across the room to where he was standing.

"Of course normally I turn those wished away to me into Goblins once I've won them but rarely do I have one as beautiful as yourself wished into my possession. Yes," Jareth continued as he pressed his body up against Legolas' side. "I can think of far better things to do with you than turn you into a Goblin."

Sparkling blue eyes snapped around to meet eyes, one bright and one dark, gazing hungrily back at him. Legolas hoped desperately for Aragorn and the others to hurry, he wasn't sure he liked being alone with the Goblin King.

Jareth leaned harder into him and pressed his mouth close to the shell of the Elf's delicate ear. His tongue flicked out to wet the pointed tip before he whispered huskily.

"I think it will take your friends awhile to reach us. You and I have plenty of time to spend alone."

* * *

"We've been walking for hours and we're getting nowhere!" Boromir voiced his complaint loudly, mostly directed at Aragorn who seemed to be the appointed leader since Gandalf left them. 

They had been walking non-stop down the straight passage, with it's high stonewalls, and it stretched for miles in front of them and miles behind them. They had no way to tell how long they'd been walking for but they could certainly tell that they were no closer to the castle than when they'd first entered the Labyrinth.

"It has not been hours Boromir." Aragorn said through clenched teeth.

"Sure feels like it." The other man grumbled. "We're not even getting any closer!"

"Well complaining isn't going to get us there faster! You know what?" Aragorn spun and faced Boromir. "We wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you wishing Legolas off to this hellish place!"

"How was I supposed to know that simply by asking for Goblins to come and take him away some guy and his pet Goblins really would come and take him away!"

Boromir shoved Aragorn hard in the centre of his chest and sent him flying back against the stone wall. Aragorn's back collided with the rock and he slumped to the ground amidst a shower of dust and pebbles.

Boromir stood over him as Aragorn stood and brushed himself off. He then dropped his shoulders and threw his entire weight into Boromir's stomach.

He was winded and flung backwards, but where Aragorn expected him to hit the wall behind him he kept going, crashing into another wall further back.

Aragorn looked down at him in confusion and Boromir shook his head to free his hair of pebbles as the dust settled around him. Aragorn slowly walked up to where his feet were, lying flush with what Aragorn had thought only moments ago was solid wall.

Boromir glanced from left to right before propping himself up on his elbows and addressing Aragorn.

"You wont get another free hit like that one friend but I'll tell you what, I think we may have just found our way into the next part of this ridiculous maze."


	3. “That’s Right, Yes, Yes, Yes”

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
Thanks very much for your reviews; I'm really glad you're enjoying this so far. I'll try my very best to keep the updates coming as quickly as possible.  
Hope you like this chapter and please review when you're done reading.

Three  
"That's Right, Yes, Yes, Yes"

"Another dead-end! What is this place anyway!" Aragorn fumed as he pounded a fist against the wall.

"It's a maze, it's supposed to have dead-ends." Pippin said cheerfully.

"For pity's sake! This is getting us nowhere!" Boromir threw his hands up in the air and slumped to the ground with his back pressed to the wall.

"Sitting there isn't going to help." Aragorn yelled down at him.

"Well when you think of a better way to get to the castle, other than walking in circles, I will get back up."

"You want to get to the castle?"

The group looked up to the top of the wall where the voice had come from. Sitting there, with its head tipped to the side was the hunched form of the strangest looking vulture they had ever seen.

"Did you just speak?" Aragorn asked uncertainly.

The vulture tipped its head to the other side but didn't respond. Aragorn sighed and was about to haul Boromir to his feet when the voice sounded from above him again.

"You want to get to the castle, yes, yes, yes?"

"That's right." Aragorn tried again.

"No one here goes to the castle. Always those from outside, yes, yes, yes."

"What do you mean?"

"His majesty rules with an iron fist, yes, yes, yes. We don't go there."

"So you're afraid of the Goblin King?"

"Very much, yes, yes, yes." He nodded his head vigorously, bobbing its long neck up and down. "Whose child did he take?"

"Child?"

"Yes, yes, yes, his Majesty takes children wished away to him. No one wanted them then but they always want them back, yes, yes, yes."

"No he hasn't taken a child from us he has taken our friend, he's an Elf.

"Not a child? Most unusual, yes, yes, yes. The King, he will be pleased."

"What do you mean pleased?"

"It is a lonely place to rule, the Labyrinth. His majesty he takes the children, plays his game, and then turns the child into a Goblin. Goblins are not pleasurable companionship."

Aragorn could have sworn the bird grinned maliciously but his brain just couldn't deal with that right now.

"So what are you saying? That the Goblin King plans to use Legolas as some sort of sex slave?"

This time the vulture erupted in cackling laughter; it's whole body shaking, before it settled down again.

"His majesty does not need to take from your friend, nor will he. He likes the game of the chase too much. He will seduce your Elf by any means necessary though, using magic is not considered cheating."

Aragorn's eyes widened as he realised the gravity of the situation. They needed to rescue Legolas and they needed to do it fast.

When the bird spoke again its mood had returned to that before it had revealed his Kings plans for Legolas.

"But I feel sorry for your friend, yes, yes, yes."

"Well do you think you feel sorry enough to help us find him?"

The bird ruffled its feathers and shook it's head.

"His majesty will kill me if he finds out I was helping, yes, yes, yes." It sounded nervous but also like it was contemplating helping them.

"We wont let him. Do you know the way to the castle?"

"Yes, yes, yes, but only by flying see." It spread its wings to illustrate the point.

"Well can you help us at all?"

It hopped from one foot to the other and glance from left to right several times before answering.

"I can get you out of stone maze, yes, yes, yes. I will fly above. Show you the way. Take you to garden, yes, yes, yes. No closer, no, his majesty will see and I will be gone, yes, yes, yes."

"Thank you."

Aragorn grabbed Boromir roughly by the arm and hauled him to his feet.

"Time to go. This bird if going to get us out of here."

* * *

"So you're a Prince? How very delightful." The Goblin King held a silver goblet in one hand and put it to his lips, drinking deeply from it. 

Jareth was perched on the ledge of an arched window, having given up his throne to Legolas. The Elf sat, facing the Goblin King, and swirling the liquid in the goblet. He had been weary of drinking it ever since he had begun to feel light-headed after the second glass. Normally alcohol had very little effect on him, even Mirkwoods strong wines could not do anything to impair his judgement, but for some reason this liquor was starting to go to his head.

Jareth picked himself up from the window and sauntered his way over to the Elf sitting in his throne. He sat himself in Legolas' lap and draped his arm about the Elf's neck.

"I've never had royalty wished away to me before."

He ran a tongue up the side of Legolas' face and the Prince shivered. Jareth smirked to himself as the Elf kept his eyes fixed forward.

"Drink up. I would hate for a guest of mine to go thirsty."

He pushed the bottom of the goblet in Legolas hand up until the rim touched his lips, forcing the Elf to swallow a mouthful before Jareth would remove his hand.

"I though I was your prisoner."

"I keep my prisoners locked in a dungeon. Though if you're that way inclined we could have you taken down there and chained to the wall."

Legolas turned frightened eyes on the Goblin King, who erupted in malicious laughter.

"Your Highness."

Jareth snapped his eyes around to glare furiously at the Goblin who had entered the throne room.

"What!"

"Sorry to interrupt your Highness but his friends they……well they've…"

"What is it, spit it out!"

"They've reached the gardens sire."

"What! How could this happen! They were going so poorly when I last looked!"

He leapt up from Legolas' lap and stalked over to the Goblin who cowered before him.

"Get out of my sight or I will send you straight to the Bog of Eternal Stench!"

The Goblin scurried off as fast as his squat legs could carry him.

Jareth stood fuming for a moment before he conjured up a crystal. Staring down into the crystal he saw the group gathered at the entrance to the gardens and threw the object against a wall, shattering it into tiny glass slivers.

"I suppose you might have underestimated them." Legolas smirked over at Jareth.

"Well then, I might just have to pay them a visit."

Legolas gasped and jumped up to try and stop him but he was too late. The Goblin King was gone, leaving only a shower of glitter behind.

* * *

"I leave you here, yes, yes, yes. Must not go any further, no. You have a long way to go from here. Good luck." 

With that the vulture ruffled his feathers some more before he took off. They watched him go before entering the garden through a stone archway.

"It's nice to see grass again." Merry sighed as he wriggled his toes in the well-kept grass.

"I'm glad my gardens are to your liking."

"You!" Aragorn spun to face Jareth, who was leaning with his back against a nearby tree

"Were you expecting anyone else?"

"What have you done to Legolas?"

"Nothing to harm him." Jareth smirked.

"You keep your hands off him!"

Jareth laughed loudly.

"Who have you been talking to Aragorn? Legolas is enjoying a nice glass of my finest liquor in my throne room. As for the rest of you, you really have made too much progress for my liking. I think I might have to up the anti a little, I've never let a group run my Labyrinth before."

"You can't do that!" Gimli yelled.

"Oh but it's my Labyrinth and my rules. I can change them at will. Enjoy!"

There was a bright flash of light and a lot of smoke but when it cleared the Goblin king was nowhere to be seen and a giant stone chessboard had replaced the grass in front of them. The pieces were the size of people and there was no way past it except to walk straight across it.


	4. Check Mate

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
Thanks so much for your reviews, you've been very kind so far. Well here for your enjoyment is the next instalment. Hope you like it and please review.

Four  
Check Mate

Just as Pippin was about to set foot on the board Aragorn stopped him.

"It has to be some kind of trap or he wouldn't have put it there." Aragorn thought out loud.

"Well while you nut it out Aragorn, I'm going to go get Legolas back." Boromir strode out onto the board.

He placed a foot on an empty square to the board's bottom right-hand corner and paused as he contemplated what to do next. There were huge chess pieces scattered purposefully about the board but a direct route from where he was to the other side was blocked by a large bishop piece. Boromir threw up his arms in frustration and strode out onto the stone board until he reached the bishop only two squares away. In order to get past it he had to cross the board on a diagonal as to his left was a pawn.

Suddenly suspicious of the game the Goblin King was apparently playing with them he very attentively placed one foot on the square diagonally from where he stood. No sooner did his foot touch the stone did it crumbled and fall into a dark abyss. Boromir was able to pull his foot back in time but he lost his balance and fell backwards.

"What happened Boromir?" Aragorn called out to the other man.

"I don't know, the stone just fell away!"

"It's a puzzle of some sort then?" Gimli thought out loud.

"Of course it is. It's a chess board." Merry smiled proudly.

"Of course!" Aragorn cried, "we should have thought of it sooner. We'll have to make our way across the board as assigned chess pieces. Boromir you've stepped on as a Rook so you can only move in straight lines!"

"Great!" Boromir called back sarcastically as he began to plan a route across the board.

The remaining four companions stepped up to the board's edge and looked at the empty squares in front of them.

"How do we know which ones to start on? There are move empty spaces then there are us." Gimli stated as they looked on at the board.

"Well the square Boromir stepped onto has a red mark on it and there are four others with similar markings so I suggest we start there." Aragorn suggested.

He stepped onto the board where the King would normally start and watched as Gimli took up the position of the left Knight, Merry the left Bishop, and Pippin took up a place as a Pawn over near Boromir.

"Alright then, chess is a game where you have to take turns right? Boromir's already had his turn so whose turn is it…"

Before he could finish his jaw dropped as a black Bishop on the other side of the board slowly moved of its own accord towards them.

"Guess it was their turn. Now it's ours." Merry said as he moved as far as he could on a diagonal across to the right hand side of the board.

* * *

Jareth returned to his throne room to find Legolas pacing back and forth across it in agitation. Slyly Jareth snuck up behind him and lent his head over the Elf's shoulder.

"Well that game ought to busy them for awhile."

Legolas gasped and leapt forward and away from the Goblin King. Jareth simply laughed and advanced swiftly on the escaping Elf. He caught him up in his arms and spun him round; backing him up until the backs of Legolas' knees collided with his throne, seating the Prince and spilling the King across his lap.

Legolas struggled vainly to try and wriggle himself out from under the Goblin King but Jareth had him pinned firmly down. He braced the Elf's arms against the arms of his throne and straddled his lap, raising himself up on his knees to look down into Legolas' worried blue eyes.

"You want this as much as I do Legolas, I can see it in your eyes. It's nothing to be ashamed of, after all we're both consenting adults."

"Consenting to what?" Legolas demanded as he continued to struggle beneath the Goblin King.

Jareth responded by smirking slyly down at the Elf and raising an arched eyebrow. Legolas' eyes flew wide open as he stared back up at the Goblin King in stunned disbelief at what he was suggesting.

"Come now, why the concern all of a sudden? You didn't seem to mind my sitting in your lap before I left to deal with your friends."

"What did you do to them!" Legolas demanded, purposefully avoiding the question.

"I told you, I set up a little game for them to play." Jareth grinned and it suddenly occurred to Legolas that the Goblin King was a sucker for a game.

"How about you and I play a little game?" Legolas queried.

Jareth raised an eyebrow as his interest was defiantly piqued, especially by the tone of the Elf's voice.

"Alright young Prince, what game did you have in mind?"

"I'd prefer you didn't call me that, I'm sure I'm older than you" Legolas requested in irritation.

"Try me." Jareth grinned down at him.

"I'm 2,931 years old."

"Well, that does indeed make you my senior, please forgive me my Elven Prince." Jareth took up Legolas' hand in his and kissed the back of it.

Legolas swiftly pulled his hand away from the Goblin King and glared defiantly at him. Jareth simply laughed and pushed a wayward strand of hair back from the Elf's face.

"Now you were about to suggest some sort of game for us to play…"

"Think of it as more of a bet. Are you a gambling man Goblin King?" Legolas had stilled his struggling and now stared defiantly up at the man above him.

"I can be. It depends on what the stakes are."

Jareth was certainly interested in the Prince's promise of a bet with him but if the prize at its end wasn't to his liking he'd be quick to call it off.

"If my friends solve the puzzle you've just set them, I win and you have to promise to get off my lap and refrain from touching me in such a manner as you have been."

"Well that doesn't sound like much fun to me. Ahhh but what if your friends loose?"

"Then you win."

"And what do I win?"

Jareth lent forward over Legolas till his mouth was only millimetres from the Elf's. Legolas could feel his hot breath flowing over his lips and shivered despite himself. Jareth chuckled low in his throat.

"I know, my pretty Elf. If your friends loose I win a kiss from you."

Legolas had been expecting such a request and so wasn't the least bit surprised when the King requested it.

Jareth watched and waited patiently while the Elf waged an internal war with himself. Finally the Prince seemed to have come to some sort of conclusion and Jareth searched his eyes for any sign as to what that decision might have been.

"Deal." Legolas finally stated.

Jareth grinned triumphantly back; knowing without a doubt, that there was no way the Elf's friends would win this game. He would see to that, and then he would claim his kiss.

* * *

Meanwhile the portion of the Fellowship who had set out to solve the Labyrinth were making good progress in the chess game. It was taking longer than Aragorn would have liked and each had nearly been knocked from the board several times.

Merry finally reached the other side and as Pippin joined him the two exchanged words of congratulations before turning to cheer on the others.

Boromir made it to the last square and was swiftly followed by Gimli.

Only Aragorn remained on the board. As the King he was only able to move a square at a time and was now beginning to find himself surrounded by black pieces as they exchanged turns.

"Come on Aragorn. You have to get to this end if we're going to go after that Goblin King to save Legolas!" Boromir called out.

"I am doing my best Boromir but I'm afraid I appear to be running out of options."

Aragorn hopped onto the square diagonal from him, before a black Bishop moved alongside him. Aragorn glanced around, trying to decide where to go for his next move but the more he looked the more worried he became, as he saw no next move.

Suddenly the black King piece before him morphed into the Goblin King, dressed in all black.

"Check mate." Jareth said with a smirk.

As Aragorn was about to protest he felt the ground give way beneath him and cried out as he began to fall. He plunged down into the darkness below him and the smug cackling of the Goblin King echoed above him.

"Aragorn!"

The others cried out and dashed back onto the stone chessboard to help him as he disappeared from sight.

"Oh dear, now you loose." Jareth said to the rest of the group with a satisfied smirk gracing his face.

They felt the earth rumble beneath them and then the stones they were standing on gave way and they too followed Aragorn into the dark.

Jareth stood at the board's edge until every last stone had fallen. Then with a wave of his hand he returned the stone courtyard to the way it had been originally. He smiled at his handy work and that smile quickly turned into a sly smirk as he remembered his bet with Legolas.

He had been watching the game with the Elf through a crystal until Aragorn's failure called for an appearance from him. By now Legolas would be aware that he had lost his bet with the Goblin King and Jareth would have liked to make the Elf suffer in anticipation a little longer but he was far to impatient to claim his kiss from the handsome Elven Prince.


	5. To Seduce A Prince

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
Thanks very much for your kind and supportive reviews. I hope this story continues to live up to expectations.

Five  
To Seduce A Prince

"Your friends have lost Legolas." The smooth accented voice of the Goblin King sounded from behind him.

The Elf stiffened slightly as Jareth stalked up behind him and he felt his hands come to rest at his hips. He had witnessed his friends loss in the crystal Jareth had left him but was still convinced the Goblin King must have cheated somehow.

"I believe you owe me something."

Jareth trailed a finger lightly up the still silent Elf's side. He turned him slowly in his arms till he was facing him. Their eyes were level but only because the Goblin King's boots had a slight heel on them, otherwise Legolas would have been slightly taller.

Jareth moved a long delicate finger up to the Elf's perfect red lips. They were soft petals beneath his touch and he knew then they would be wonderful to kiss. His eyes followed his finger as he traced the Elf's soft lips. Legolas kept his eyes fixed firmly forward and even when Jareth's eyes moved back up to his he refused to look at him.

Jareth fisted his hand roughly in Legolas' long golden hair at the back of his head and pulled him to him, crushing the Elf's lips to his own. His kiss was brutal and demanding but Legolas could not pull away as he was held still by Jareth's firm grip on his hair.

Jareth's probing tongue demanded entrance into the Prince's mouth but Legolas kept his lips pressed firmly together. The Goblin King yanked roughly on the Elf's hair, causing him to cry out softly in pain. Jareth immediately took advantage of the situation he'd created and swooped his tongue into Legolas' mouth.

Suddenly Jareth cried out and shoved the Elf back. Legolas stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. From his position sprawled on the ground Legolas looked up at the Goblin King with a very satisfied smirk on his face.

Jareth glared angrily down at him and raised a white-gloved hand up to his mouth. He slipped a finger into his mouth and it came out stained with his own blood. He growled low in his throat and stalked over to where the Prince lay.

He dropped to a knee beside him and, gripping the front of his tunic, pulled Legolas up so that their noses were touching.

"You will not defy me like that a again! I won that bet and you owed me that kiss. Beware Elf for I have been kind to you up to this point, but I can be cruel."

Jareth's eyes were blazing and Legolas almost regret bitting him.

"I would think very carefully about my next move if I were you Legolas."

He then pushed the Elf back to the ground and stood over him. He smoothed his outfit back down and placed his boot squarely in the center of the Elf's chest.

"Now I'm going to go and make sure you haven't done my tongue any real damage, while you wait here and watch your friends suffer in an oubliette."

He threw Legolas a crystal before he strode off and up the stairs leading out of the throne room.

Legolas leapt to his feet and bolted for the other door only to have it slam in his face and lock. Jareth's cool voice echoed throughout the room, projected there from somewhere else.

"Stay put Prince Legolas. I will be back for you and would be most disappointed to find you gone."

Legolas picked the crystal up off the floor and with a frustrated yell threw it as hard as he could against the wall, shattering it into tiny pieces.

* * *

"Get off me Aragorn you weigh a tonne!" Boromir complained as he tried to pitch the weight upon him off.

"I am not Aragorn and I'll have you know that my heavy armour will protect me far better than yours." Gimli grumbled down at the man who'd broken his fall.

Boromir finally managed to push the heavy Dwarf off him and pick himself up from the floor. He dusted his clothes off as best he could in the darkness and began to try and make out his surroundings.

"Where on earth are we?" Boromir demanded in frustration.

"You mean where in earth. Where in a hole." Pippin replied smugly.

"I'm glad you find time to joke in such a situation young Hobbit." Boromir muttered under his breath.

"Where's Aragorn?" Merry asked.

"Over here." Came the reply from the man in question.

"What are you doing Aragorn?" Merry asked as he tried to pinpoint the location of the man in the dark.

"I'm trying to find a way out of here." Aragorn grunted as he pushed against one of the cave walls.

"What is this place?" Gimli asked, running a hand over the stone encapsulating them.

"I wish I knew" Aragorn added as he pounded a fist against a wall.

"How many hours do you think we have left to save him?" Pippin worried out loud.

"Who can tell anything down in this dark hole?" Boromir pushed a shoulder heavily against the wall but it did not give way.

Eventually Aragorn gave up and pressed his back to the cool stone in defeat.

"Poor Legolas. I hate to think what that monster is doing to him."

"Monster? Well now that's a little uncalled for don't you think?"

Torches lining the walls of the oubliette suddenly flared to life and in its center stood Jareth, a smug smiled gracing his lips.

"You deserve the title for stealing Legolas from us!" Boromir fumed at him.

"Once again Boromir you only have yourself to blame for your friends disappearance."

"Why are you here?" Aragorn asked Jareth in an accusing tone.

"Well you all appear to have gotten yourselves trapped in my oubliette and only I can get you out."

"What do you want?"

"I have found the Prince of Mirkwood is playing a little bit more hard to get than I had originally anticipated."

"Good." Boromir stated. "Legolas wont give himself to you."

"Oh he will, once I have broken down his barriers."

"And let me guess." Aragorn interjected. "You want us to help you do that."

Jareth flashed sharp white canines at Aragorn and the man shuddered in disgust.

"You really are a monster. If you think we'll bargain for our freedom to aid your seduction of our friend you truly are crazy."

"The way I see it Aragorn you and your friends don't really have a choice. All I'm asking is that you answer one question, truthfully, for me. You can either do that and be freed from your prison to continue running my Labyrinth or you can refuse and instead spend your remaining eight hours sitting here in the dark."

"What choice do we have Aragorn." Boromir whispered aside to the other man.

"What is it that you want to know?" Aragorn asked Jareth wearily.

"Aside from the obvious, what part of a male Elf's body is most sensitive to pleasure?"

Jareth's mismatched eyes bored into Aragorn's grey-blue ones until the man finally yielded.

"If I tell you you'll let us out of here?"

Jareth nodded and his smirk widened. This caused Aragorn some unease and he suddenly thought to rephrase his question.

"Sorry, if I tell you you'll let us out of here and return us to the garden where we were before you set up the game of chess for us?"

The smirk fell from Jareth's face and it was soon replaced with a sneer.

"You are smarter than I gave you credit for Aragorn. Very well, you will be returned to the gardens once you have answered my question."

Aragorn hated himself for doing this but Boromir was right, they really didn't have a choice. If they were going to save Legolas form ultimately having to remain here forever they had to get out of this oubliette.

"His ears." Aragorn finally managed.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Jareth asked in a mocking tone.

"The pointed tips on an Elf's ears are extremely sensitive to pleasure! Now return us to where we were!"

Jareth smirked at the revelation and what it would mean to his planed seduction of the handsome Elf.

"As we agreed." He stated slyly.

With a wave of his hand the group suddenly had their vision flooded with natural light and all had to blink several times before they could see properly again. They were back in the gardens the vulture had taken them to. The stone chessboard was gone and the grass courtyard that had originally been there had been returned. The Goblin King was nowhere to be seen but they all had a fairly good idea where he was.

"Let's get going now, we've wasted enough time as it is." Gimli muttered as he began to make his way across the gardens.

The others quickly followed, Merry and Pippin having to run in order to keep up.

"Yeah, from what that Goblin King guy said we only have eight hours left." Pippin managed to get out as he ran after the others.

They rounded a corner and soon lost themselves in the depths of a complicated hedge maze. More determined than ever to outsmart the Goblin King and beat him at his own game, Aragorn quickly decided on a course of action that would lead them from the hedge maze faster than Jareth would have ever anticipated.


	6. Head And Shoulders Above The Rest

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Six  
Head And Shoulders Above The Rest

"This is much easier. I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner." Pippin called down to Boromir, upon whose shoulders he was sitting.

"Yes well I'm sure it's made things much easier for you young Hobbit as not only do you not have someone sitting on your shoulders but you no longer have to do any walking." Boromir grumbled back.

"Come now Boromir, it's not like they're a heavy burden." Aragorn said, smiling up at Merry who was seated on his shoulders. "Besides if you really want to you can always swap Pippin over for Gimli."

They all laughed except for Boromir who muttered something under his breath, which no one really quite got the gist of.

"We'll need to take a left up here Aragorn."

From their vantage point on the men's shoulders the Hobbits could see well ahead of them and so were navigating the hedge maze swiftly and with ease. Both Pippin and Merry could already see the hedge maze's exit and now it was just a matter of directing everyone there.

* * *

Jareth watched their progression in a crystal from within his bedchambers. He growled low in his throat at how quickly they were evidently going to get out of the hedge maze. He had hoped that it would at least slow them up a little but apparently that wasn't going to be the case.

Bringing long fingers up to thoughtfully stroke his chin he worried the hedge maze would not bide him enough time alone with the Elven Prince to execute his latest plan of seduction.

"Very well I shall have to leave a surprise waiting for them at the end of the hedge maze. That should slow them down enough for me to seduce the Elf. He cannot resist me forever, especially with what I have planned for him."

With a wave of his hand Jareth had his surprise set up for the Fellowship at the end of the hedge maze. He then stood and smoothed down his outfit, making sure his tight breeches clung to everywhere they should and that his shirt hung open enough to show a generous amount of his smooth pale chest.

Once he was satisfied that even he would have trouble resisting himself he picked his riding crop up off the end of his bed and strode elegantly to the door. As he shut it behind him he held his hand, palm up, in front of him and a large silver platter brimming with all matter of foods, from grapes to slices of meat and bread rolls appeared upon it. Balancing it carefully he made his way through the winding halls of his castle and down the stairs to his throne room, which was still locked up tight so that his prisoner could not escape.

* * *

"Now that's a little drastic don't you think Legolas?" Jareth mused as he entered the throne room to find Legolas hanging halfway out of an arched window.

"No." Legolas objected as he gazed down at the ground below him. It was a long way down but at the moment seemed the better option.

Jareth sighed heavily. Why did the Elf insist upon fighting him? Never had he had so little trouble from those running the Labyrinth and so much trouble from the one who had been wished away.

Placing the silver tray full of food on his throne he crossed the room to the window Legolas was perched in.

"Come down from there. It really would be such a waste to have your beautiful figure splattered all across my courtyard."

Legolas turned to face the Goblin King, who was holding a gloved hand out to him. Wearily Legolas took it and allowed Jareth to steady him as he leapt back down from the window and into the throne room. He really wasn't quite ready to contemplate suicide when his friends were still running the Labyrinth.

Once he was firmly back on his feet he pulled his hand back from a smiling Goblin King and watched him wearily as he crossed back to his throne to retrieve the silver tray he had placed there.

Jareth continued his trek across the room until he halted at the foot of the steps that led up and out of his throne room, effectively blocking any escape Legolas might have been hopeful of.

Legolas cursed inwardly as he'd been hoping to use that now open door as an escape, all he would have had to do was distract the Goblin King for a few moments and then dash up the stairs. However any hope of escaping by that route was now cruelly taken from him as Jareth lounged on the bottom few steps, stretching his legs out before him and propping himself up on his elbows.

"Come, sit with me and we shall have something to eat." White fangs glinted as Jareth smirked up at Legolas, who still stood at the other side of the room.

Jareth waited patiently for the Elf to move but he still seemed unsure as to what he wanted to do. He shifted from one foot to the other and couldn't seem to keep his eyes fixed on any one particular thing.

"Unlike you dear Elf, I will not bite." Jareth said with a grin as he patted the stone stair beside him, beckoning for Legolas to come sit with him.

"How do I know you haven't poisoned the food like you did the wine?"

"My liquor was not poisoned. I can hardly be blamed for you not being able to handle the strong liquor we make here in the Underground, though I must commend you on your ability to drink more than any mortal I have ever seen."

"I am not mortal."

"Of course you are not, no mortal could be as ancient as you and yet appear so refreshingly youthful. But if you want proof I have not poisoned the food…"

Jareth pinch a dark grape from a bunch spilling over the edge of the platter and pressed it between his lips. His jaw moved slowly up and down before he swallowed, the muscles in his neck pushing the small amount of food down his throat seemed to oddly fascinate Legolas and he blushed slightly as he realised Jareth had caught him staring at him.

"Hungry?" He held the tray out to the Elf who finally let his stomach win over his good sense.

He slowly made his way across the room to the reclining Goblin King and sat beside him on the stairs. Jareth lifted the sliver platter up to the Elf's hungry eyes and he took a bread roll from it as well as a bunch of green grapes.

Jareth tilted his head to the side as he watched the Elf attack the roll with the vigour of one who has not eaten well in awhile. He continued to pick at the dark grapes on the platter, which he had placed to the side so the there was nothing between him and the Elf but a small expanse of step.

Legolas tore into the bread but kept his eyes trained on Jareth, watching carefully for any change in the Goblin King's disposition. Once he'd finished the bread he began to carefully pluck the perfect green grapes from the stalk he held in his hand and pop them one by one into his mouth.

Jareth couldn't help but run his tongue over his lips as he watched the tantalizing sight of the Elf pushing the grapes past his lips. He shifted slightly closer to him and rotated his body so that he was resting his weight upon his right hip, now fully facing the Elf sitting beside him.

Legolas didn't seem to notice the change in Jareth's position as his focus was now on the delicious grapes in his hand. He unconsciously relaxed a little and stretched his legs out, much to Jareth's pleasure.

Suddenly Legolas found his grapes had been stolen from his hand and he looked indignantly at Jareth, who had stolen them and was now dangling them before Legolas' eyes.

Legolas was rather upset by the loss of the grapes as he'd been rather enjoying them and he truly was famished, seeing as they had to be conservative about their food while they had been travelling.

Jareth lent into him and pressed a gloved hand firmly at he centre of his chest, forcing the Elf to lie back against the stairs. Legolas swallowed hard and tried to sit up but Jareth's hand kept him pinned down. The Goblin King then dangled the grapes just above the Elf's mouth, brushing them gently over his petal soft lips. Jareth smiled widely as Legolas flicked his tongue out to try and taste the sweet grapes.

Chuckling quietly Jareth took his hand off the Elf's chest and plucked a grape from the bunch in his hand and pressed it up to Legolas' lips. Legolas would not meet the Goblin King's gaze but Jareth smirked in approval as Legolas parted his lips slightly so that he could push the grape into his mouth.

Jareth gasped softly as Legolas took his finger into his mouth along with the grape and ran his tongue over the digit. The Goblin King was a little taken aback by the Elf's sudden boldness but was certainly not going to question nor object to it. His eyes focused on the soft lips closed about his slender finger and the feel of Legolas' tongue sliding over it.

He pulled his hand back, slipping his finger from the Elf's mouth and traced the same digit along Legolas' jaw line. Legolas attempted to sit up again but Jareth pressed him firmly back down before deciding that now was probably a good a time as any to test the value of Aragorn's word.

He placed a hand on either side of the Elf's shoulders and lent down slightly to the right till his lips brushed against the shell of his ear. His tongue flicked out experimentally over the tip of Legolas' ear and to his great approval the Elf gasped and arched his body up against his.

The Goblin King sighed softly as he felt the Elf's chest press up against his own. Truly Aragorn was a man of his word, the tip of the Elves ears were far more sensitive then Jareth had ever thought.

Hoping to increase Legolas' participation in their current activity Jareth closed his mouth over the ear's pointed tip and proceeded to flick his tongue over it. Legolas had certainly not been expecting this and moaned loudly as he fisted his hands against the stone steps beneath him.

Even after that he was most defiantly not prepared to have Jareth's lips come crashing down against his own next, and pulled back slightly from the bruising kiss. Tentatively Jareth slipped his tongue between Legolas' slightly parted lips as he pinched the Elf's ear tip between thumb and forefinger, enticing another gasp from him.

When the male beneath him didn't close his teeth upon the tongue invading his mouth Jareth probed further and was pleased to find Legolas' tongue tentatively moving up against his own. Jareth forcefully dominated the demanding kiss as his tongue swooped around the Elf's mouth.

Wanting to speed things along Jareth repositioned himself over the Elf and supported his weight on his hands as he continued to kiss him. He was about to manoeuvre a knee between Legolas' legs to encourage him to open them when he felt a knee slip between his own. Jareth smirked against the Elf's lips as he felt the knee between his legs rub up even higher.

The next thing he knew he was doubled over, searing pain racing through his groin, and Legolas had wriggled out from under him and fled up the stairs. Jareth tried to stand to chase after him but crashed to his knees on the stairs clutching at his crotch and groaning in pain.

"Stupid Elf! You cannot escape out that way!" He yelled after him but Legolas was long gone up the stairs.

* * *

"A right and then go straight till you come to a T-junction and then take a left and then the next opening on your right is the exit!" Merry yelled excitedly.

"Well done Hobbits." Aragorn called up to them. "If it weren't for you we'd still be wandering around in this hedge maze."

Now that they knew the end was within their sights the three who were still on foot doubled their pace and were soon running through the maze, following the Hobbits directions.

"We're here!" Pippin called out as they burst from the hedge maze's exit.

However they stopped dead in their tracks as they noticed a familiar tall blond figure sitting, facing them, upon a sandstone bench.

"Legolas?" Boromir asked uncertainly.

As the Elf smiled back at them the two men put the Hobbit's down and all five rushed over to greet their friend.


	7. Playing Doubles

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Seven  
Playing Doubles

Boromir was the first to run up to the Elf and lift him from the bench in a fierce embrace.

"I never in all my life thought I would be so happy to see you as I am now Legolas!"

He put Legolas back down on the ground and Aragorn stepped in to hug him.

"We're so glad you're ok Legolas, but how did you escape from the castle?"

Legolas tipped his head to the side and smiled but didn't answer Aragorn's question. Aragorn stepped back from his friend and gave him a weary look but the Hobbits had by now stepped in to greet Legolas so his attention was on them rather than the man.

Something felt not quite right about the Elf but Aragorn couldn't quite place what it was that was bothering him. He seemed a lot more passive and vacant than Legolas usually was but then Aragorn could only imagine what he'd gone through in the past few hours, prisoner to the monster that ruled this Labyrinth.

"You have found me then. We should get out of here." Legolas said once they had all assured themselves of his safety.

"That's all very well Legolas but how do we get out of here. I mean we had enough trouble getting to this point." Boromir stated.

"Follow me, I know the way." Legolas called to them as he started off down a corridor to their right.

"Wait!" Aragorn called out as he chased after him.

The others in turn shrugged their shoulders and too followed the Elf. Legolas was walking very quickly and Aragorn had to run to catch up with him. When he did he gripped the Elf's shoulder and spun him around to face him.

"Just wait a minute Legolas! How is that you know the way out of this Labyrinth when you've never even been in it?"

Before Legolas could even respond a voice ran out over the Labyrinth.

"Aragorn! Please hurry!"

Aragorn snapped his head in the direction that the cry had come from and in the distance, though much closer than before, sat the castle at the center of the Labyrinth. There was no doubt in Aragorn's mind that the voice belonged to Legolas. But if Legolas was calling for help from the castle then how could he be standing in front of him?

Aragorn slowly twisted his head back to face the Elf standing before him. Legolas tipped his head to the side and smiled.

"Please hurry Aragorn, I'm sure the others want to get back to the beginning as quickly as possible."

* * *

Legolas could not longer hear Jareth calling out after him as he dashed off up the stairs. The staircase wound on upwards and Legolas began to worry that all it lead to was the top of a tower.

He halted suddenly as he dashed past a window and thought to call out on the hope that the others heard him. He worried that Jareth was already hot on his heals though so he took a moment to listen for footsteps. When he heard none he placed both hands on the windowsill, lent out and called out as loudly as he could into the vacant air.

"Aragorn! Please hurry!"

He was going to add more but he suddenly thought he heard footsteps pursuing him up the stairs and so he took off again.

Just as he though the steps really would never end he saw a doorway appear round a corner and as he ran through it he had to quickly stop himself and pull back in order to avoid plunging off the end of the ledge he found himself on the edge of.

His mouth fell open and his eyes widened as he stared out into the huge room full of staircases that seemed to lead nowhere and yet somewhere all at the same time. Even trying to follow one path with is eyes boggled his mind within minutes. His heart sank as the realization that his escape was not going to be easy hit him.

Again the footfalls sounded behind him and so Legolas really had no other option. He took a deep breath and started off down the staircase to his right, hoping to blindly make his way through the maze of confusing staircases before Jareth caught up with him.

He took the stairs two at a time, sometimes jumping half or entire flights on the way down. Winding in and out of doorways, only to find himself back in the mess of stairs. Each time this happened he would grow more and more agitated as he knew his time must be running out. He could only run from the Goblin King for so long and was surprised that Jareth hadn't caught up with him already.

Finally, as he stood on a platform before a small flight of stairs he could see a doorway across from him that was unlike the others, there was definitely a hall extending beyond this one. He cleared the steps in a single leap and dashed across the next platform, the doorway temporarily lost from sight, before the took the stairs leading upwards two at a time.

However when he reached the top he had to pull himself up to avoid running smack into Jareth's chest. Legolas stared fearfully into the Goblin king's cold eyes and stumbled back a few paces.

"But how did you…?" He managed to gasp out.

"Oh please." Jareth stated icily. "This is my castle Legolas, I have lived in it for many hundreds of years, do you really think I don't know my way around it."

Legolas had nothing to say to that but did not lower his gaze from the fiery stare the Goblin King was directing at him.

"Now as for your disrespectful behaviour, you will have to be punished I'm afraid."

Jareth waved his hands before him and suddenly Legolas found his ankles clapped in shackles and his wrists chained behind his back. He looked down in confusion at his bound feet before casting his startled look back up at Jareth. The Goblin King merely smirked at him and arched a delicate eyebrow.

"What are you going to do to me?" Legolas sounded less afraid than Jareth had been expecting but that really only excited Jareth further.

"I'm going to throw you in the dungeon for a while and perhaps after you've spent some time in there you might be a little bit more welcoming of my hospitality."

With that Jareth wrapped his arms about the Elf's middle, lifted him up and draped him over his shoulder. He kept one arm wrapped around Legolas waist to hold him firmly on his shoulder. The Elf's legs dangled down Jareth's front while his upper torso lay against the Goblin King's back.

"Hospitality! You think what you've shown me is good hospitality? I am the Prince of Mirkwood and all you've shown me is…"

Legolas found himself cut off by a cloth gag that suddenly appeared in his mouth. Jareth smirked to himself as all he could hear coming from the Elf's mouth now were muffled protests.

"There, that's much better."

Legolas struggled violently against Jareth who responded to the Elf's attempts to free himself by tightening his arm about his middle and quickening his pace.

They went down numerous flights of stairs and passed through so many hallways that Legolas doubted he'd be able to find his way back were he to escape Jareth's grip. Not to mention he wouldn't get very far with his limbs bound as they were.

It did not take long for Jareth to reach his dungeons. He rarely used them and so rarely visited them, ruling with an iron fist meant that few of his subjects broke the law and needed jailing. It was cold and damp in the dungeons and so Jareth used his magic to light a torch on the wall near the doorway.

He crossed the room to one of the dingy cells and threw the iron bar door open. It crashed against the other bars of the cell and Jareth proceeded to heave Legolas into the cell.

The bound Elf crashed against the far wall; the right side of his face and his right shoulder collided heavily with the wall while he knocked his right hip against the stone floor. Legolas winced in pain and squeezed his eyes shut to hold back the tears that threatened to spring up in his right eye.

Jareth crossed into the cell and took the Elf's chin in his hand, turning his face towards him.

"You will have a dark bruise in a few hours. Such a pity to mar a face as beautiful as yours but if you are well behaved I may consider healing it for you."

Legolas twisted his head out Jareth's grip and lifted his body up to lean against the wall in a kneeling position. He glared up at Jareth who now stood over him, examining the shackled form of the Elven Prince.

He was tempted to try another advancement on the bound Elf, who would be helpless to do anything to stop him, but decided against it, as it would take away the thrill of seducing the Prince into giving himself over to him.

He turned on his heel and slammed the cell door shut behind him. He looked back over his shoulder at Legolas before turning to face him again, the bars separating them now.

"You can stay down here for awhile Legolas and maybe in the time you spend in solitude you will learn not to be quite so disagreeable."

With that said Jareth turned and left the dungeon back up the stairs they had come down. As he left the room the torch went out and plunged the dungeon into darkness. Legolas shifted slightly in his black prison to take his weight off his right hip, which was now throbbing in pain. The dungeon was damp and cold and Legolas was thankful the temperature had little affect on him so only the damp walls and floor bothered him. He wasn't sure how long he'd last in this dark prison as already he felt as though the walls were closing in on him.

* * *

"No." Aragorn took a step back from the blond Elf before him. "I don't care that you look and sound like Legolas you are not him!"

"But I am. Why would you think I were not?" Legolas tipped his head to the side and gave Aragorn a questioning look.

Aragorn faltered a little in his stance and by now the others had caught up with them and were watching with confusion. Finally Aragorn glanced over at the castle in the distance before he spoke.

"No, you're not him. He's still trapped in there with the Goblin King." He pointed to the castle but the Elf before him did not look away.

"What are you talking about Aragorn?" Gimli asked.

"I don't know how he's done it but somehow Jareth has created and illusion of Legolas to lead us out of the Labyrinth."

The others looked sceptical and couldn't decide if Aragorn were telling the truth or if he'd just gone crazy.

Finally Aragorn step into the Elf and as his nose came into contact with Legolas' nose he spoke with an even voice full of confidence in what he was saying.

"You are not real."

The elf looked almost saddened for a moment before his form faded from view. Aragorn sighed with relief and the others all congratulated him on picking the fake Legolas. They then turned and started back towards the end of the hedge maze to begin their progression from where they were before the phoney Legolas had begun to try and lead them from the Labyrinth.


	8. An Old Trick

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Eight  
An Old Trick

"They're smarter than the ones you usually have running your Labyrinth, yes your Majesty?"

A small Goblin asked as it looked up at Jareth from its spot on the floor polishing his boots. The Goblin King sat hunched over in his throne with a nasty scowl marring his usually beautiful face.

"Yes they are, but not collectively. It's that Aragorn, he's a valuable leader and at the moment is the only thing holding them together. If I could simply get rid of him some how…without him I believe they would fall into utter chaos simply trying to decide whether to turn left or right."  
Jareth leaned back in his throne and laughed cynically. His eyes danced slyly as he tapped the end of his ridding crop against his thigh in thought. The Goblin at his feet remained silent as he dutifully continued polishing his King's boots.

Some moments passed before Jareth sighed in frustration and shooed the Goblin at his feet away with a swift kick.

"Why do I bother putting the effort in any more? What's wrong with using an old trick?" He smirked as he balanced a crystal on his fingertips.

With a flick of his wrist he sent the crystal sailing into the air and by the time it had returned to his outstretched palm it had morphed into a perfect, ripe peach.

"Not sure Aragorn likes peaches but I really don't think it matters anyway."

Then with a wave of his hand Jareth was gone.

* * *

"I know we're all tired but we have to keep going."

"Surely it won't matter if we just sit down for a bit Aragorn." Pippin asked timidly.

"And leave Legolas up there in that castle with the Goblin King? What if it were you instead of him?"

Pippin hung his head in shame at Aragorn's angry words and said nothing further.

Aragorn powered on, striding out with his long legs that earned him the nickname 'Strider' round Bree. The others trudged along behind him but the Hobbits had to run in order to keep up now.

"Slow down Aragorn!" Merry called out as Aragorn disappeared round the next corner ahead of them.

"Hello Aragorn."

Aragorn had to stop suddenly in order to avoid running smack into the Goblin King, who had just appeared before him.

"Get out of my way." Aragorn growled angrily as he tried to sidestep around the tall blond male.

Jareth simply stepped into his path again and Aragorn turned blazing eyes up at him defiantly. Jareth merely smirked down at him, which only fuelled Aragorn's anger.

"I've had enough Goblin King. I'm going to rescue my friend, now move!"

Jareth however did not move. Instead he smiled and held his hand out to the man before him. Resting in his palm was the peach he had brought for him. Aragorn stared at it wearily before speaking.

"What's that for?"

"I thought you might be hungry." A predatory smile graced the Goblin King's face and Aragorn took a step back.

"You've done something to it haven't you?"

"Simply put, yes." Jareth smiled and lifted his hand towards his mouth.

He stepped towards Aragorn and with his lips close to his hand blew upon the peach nestle in his palm. As his warm breath hit the fruit it disintegrated and flew out from his hand in a cloud of shimmering peach coloured powder.

Aragorn sneezed loudly as he breathed in the powder and while the ground beneath him started to sway he could hear Jareth's laughter filling his mind. He stumbled around the stone maze until his shoulder collided with a wall and he slumped to the ground. Everything was spinning and his vision was slowly blurring. As his eyes drifted closed he could have sworn he heard music filling his ears.

* * *

Aragorn opened his eyes and had to blink several times before he was sure that he was, in fact, in an elaborately decorated ballroom. He couldn't quite remember what he was doing there or where he had been before but as he looked down at himself and realized he was certainly dressed for a ball, so he pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind.

From across the room Jareth, dressed in the glittering midnight blue frock coat, pale grey silk frilled shirt, tight black breeches and polished black boots he usually reserved for these sorts of occasions, watched the mortal spin around slowly as he tried to work out where he was.

The Goblin King smirked as Aragorn finally stopped turning and looked himself over. Jareth had to admit the man knew how to dress though and Aragorn looked quite striking in his formal garb but what ultimately confused Jareth was why the mortal had dreamt up a ball.

Mortals really were a rather uncreative bunch when it came down to it. It seemed they all dreamed of dancing with a beautiful stranger at a masquerade ball. Must have something to do with the illusions one can create of another being and ones self when hidden behind a mask. Jareth really didn't care at the point, what he was far more interested in was why he was here. He certainly hadn't noticed the man to be harbouring any hidden desire for him so why would he bring him into his dream, and dressed so elegantly.

Then out of the corner of his eye Jareth spotted Legolas and without his consent his own mouth fell open. He had thought the Prince beautiful before but dressed as he was, in pale grey tights with silver thread running through them, a beautifully fitted shimmering silver tunic with gold clasps running down the front of it, soft grey boots fitted snugly over his feet and his flaxen hair decorated with a series of elaborate braids, a silver circlet nestled upon his brow, he looked stunning.

Jareth managed to close his mouth before anyone noticed him staring and it was then that he noticed he wasn't the only one who was admiring the Elf. Across the room Aragorn was also watching Legolas with wide eyes, his mouth gapping open and shut like a goldfish.

The Goblin King smirked to himself as he slowly began to understand what it was Aragorn had dreamed up, with the help of his spell of course. It would seem that the mortal was harbouring some pent up desires for his Elven friend. But that still left the question of why he was here unanswered. If Aragorn had not wanted him in the dream he would not have been brought here and he would have been forced to simply observe the mortal's dream. Yet here he was and still he did not know why.

Then from the corner of his eye he noticed the stunning Elf begin to make his way through the throng of people towards him. The Goblin King couldn't help arching an eyebrow, as the Prince smiled slyly at him while he sauntered up to him.

"Dance with me my King?" Legolas asked with submissive eyes.

Jareth almost fell over before mentally slapping himself for falling for his own spell. The Legolas before him was not the one locked in his dungeon, he was a dream and in fact a figment of Aragorn's imagination. Clearly the mortal man wished for the Elf to be as submissive as he himself did. More interestingly though he thought he had finally worked out his role in Aragorn's dream, to evoke jealousy from the mortal man by capturing the attention of the beautiful Elf Aragorn so obviously desired.

"Of course fair Prince." Jareth said as he extended a hand to Legolas.

The Elf placed his hand in the Goblin King's and smiled seductively at him as he felt Jareth's slender fingers curl around his delicate hand. Jareth led him to the dance floor where he pulled him close, wrapping an arm around the Elf's slim waist and holding the other's hand up in his own. He smiled, barring sharp canines as Legolas placed his hand firmly on his shoulder and allowed Jareth to lead him around the dance floor.

Spell or no spell Jareth would not deny that the dance was a memorable one. Legolas seemed more than happy to forfeit leading every dance to Jareth, ultimately taking on the submissive role that the Goblin King was trying to evoke from the Legolas locked in his dungeon.

Jareth made a point of flicking his gaze every now and then from the lovely Elf in his arms to the man standing on the far side of the room. Jareth smirked to himself as he could see the jealous rage slowly boiling over in the mortal. His fists clenched at his sides so tightly his knuckles had turned white, oblivious to the many other dancers swirling about him.

Jareth laughed quietly to himself but it would appear Legolas had a fair idea what he was laughing at as he glanced back over his shoulder and flashed a smile at the mortal man, before turning back to the man he was dancing with and joining his soft laughter.

Aragorn could not hear them laughing but he could feel his blood boiling just watching Jareth handle the Elven Prince like he owned him. He was not however about to loose his composure over such a tiny incident. Legolas was perfectly capable of handling himself and if he truly didn't wish to dance with the Goblin King he could remove himself from his arms. He also had no doubt that the Elf was teasing him and the smile he'd flashed him before was proof of this. Aragorn however was not prepared for what happened next and apparently nor was Jareth.

Aragorn watched on in shock as Legolas reached a hand up to cup Jareth's face before he softly pressed his lips to those of the Goblin King. Jareth halted their dance in surprise as the soft lips brushed across his own. But his initial shock at the Elf's boldness was short lived as he brought the hand that had been holding Legolas' up to cup the back of the Prince's head and press his lips more firmly to his.

Suddenly he felt Legolas' lips pulled from his own and he opened his eyes to find a steaming Aragorn firmly grasping Legolas' wrist and the Elf staring at the man with beautiful doe eyes.

Jareth smirked, as he knew everything was playing out exactly as Aragorn's subconscious wanted it to. So Aragorn had indeed cast him in the role of the possible other lover but from what he had seen of Legolas and Aragorn he did not think they were lovers. Perhaps the man whished they were, either way it was not his business and he really didn't care.

Legolas tugged his hand free from Aragorn's firm grip before gripping the front of the man's tunic in both hands and pulling his face close to his.

"What are you doing Aragorn?" He hissed at his friend.

Jareth had not moved from the spot where Legolas had been pulled from him and was now smirking at this slightly strange but certainly interesting turn of events.

"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm stopping you from doing something you obviously have no control over. Why did you kiss him?"

Legolas didn't appear to have heard him at all as he pulled his face closer and his eyes blazed in a way Aragorn had never seen.

"What I mean Aragorn is why are you in this bubble dreaming of rescuing me from the arms of the Goblin King and taking me up in your own when you are supposed to be running his Labyrinth and rescuing me in reality."

Aragorn blinked in surprise and tried to pull back from the Elf but Legolas' firm grip held him in place. Aragorn was not the only one disconcerted by Legolas' reaction. Jareth stopped his smirking suddenly and looked slightly confused. It was as if Legolas' demeanour had suddenly changed.

"What are you talking about Legolas?"

"Listen to me very carefully Aragorn I don't know what kind of spell he's cast on you but that's all this is, it is a dream induced by some sort of enchantment that he's placed upon you to distract you."

Jareth suddenly pulled Legolas away from Aragorn and brought the Elf's nose to his before his hissed at him.

"How are you doing this!"

Legolas merely smirked back at Jareth as he watched Aragorn slowly back away out the corner of his eye. The fact that the Elf refused to answer him only further infuriated Jareth further and so he lifted Legolas slightly from the floor by the front of his tunic and glared up at him.

"Tell me Legolas! How are you doing this! You are not the same Legolas who was here at the commencement of this ball. I know you, now tell me how you are doing this!"

"Flee Aragorn while you can! Remember you and the others are supposed to be rescuing me from the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth!"

Aragorn nodded vigorously and ran towards the edge of the ballroom. Jareth suddenly realized the Elf had been playing him too and threw him to the ground in anger and strode after Aragorn.

Aragorn pressed his hands against the unyielding sides of the bubble ballroom before he began to frantically search for something to smash it with. Jareth was fast gaining on him when his hand closed about the handle of a heavy candlestick. He picked it up and threw it with all his might at the bubble barrier and it broke, sending the entire ballroom into utter chaos.

Aragorn brought his arms up over his face as a fierce wind swirled about him and all he could hear was the angry cry of the Goblin King echoing throughout the destroyed illusion.


	9. The Dungeons And The Forest

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
Nice to know there is at least someone still reading this and reviewing. Thank you very much to Ashes2 for your reviews, I'm very glad to hear you like the story and your most recent review inspired me to get this chapter out faster.

Nine  
The Dungeons And The Forest

"You!" Jareth stormed into his castle's dungeons, fuming over his failed attempt to stall Aragorn.

"How did you do that!" He cried in complete frustration as he strode threateningly over to the cell that Legolas sat in

The Elf was huddled against the wall, his arms wrapped about his knees. He lifted his head as Jareth finally reached the cell and shook the bars firmly with both hands.

"Tell me how you did it!"

Legolas began to laugh hysterically and Jareth noticed a mad look in his eyes. The Elf staggered to his feet and slowly crept over to the bars, where Jareth stood on the other side. The Elf had only been in the dungeon for a few hours at most but he looked like someone who had been down there for years.

"Guess you forgot Elven magic lies mostly in dreams hm? Or did you fail to look that up when you learnt everything else about us?"

"I guess I missed that part." Jareth said through gritted teeth.

Legolas began to laugh again and it only served to frustrate Jareth further.

"Stop it! Stop laughing you foolish Elf!" Jareth rattled the bars of the cell in hopes of startling Legolas out of his hysterics.

Finally the Goblin King could take the Elf's madness no more and with an exasperated breath he stormed from the dungeon, spinning on his heel so his cloak flowed around him as he turned. His boot heels clicked loudly over the stone floor as he headed for the stairs but he paused as he heard a loud metallic clanging noise behind him.

"Wait! Please! Don't leave me here again…"

Legolas had leapt up from his spot in the corner on the floor and thrown himself against the bars of the cell. His blue eyes stared out through the darkness in desperation as he stretched an arm through the bars to reach desperately for the retreating Goblin King. His voice quivered slightly as he called out, the madness in his eyes morphing quickly into fear.

Jareth cocked his head to the side and gave the Elf and odd look. He stepped down slowly from the bottom step and took his time crossing back over to Legolas' cell. The Elf's eyes never fell from his own, as though by holding Jareth's stare the Elf thought he could keep him there and not have to face the darkness alone again.

"Why the sudden change Legolas. Only moments ago you seemed to be thoroughly enjoying your prison."

Jareth lent casually against the bars of the cell and watched with interest as Legolas drew his arm back inside and lowered his gaze for a moment in what Jareth could only guess was shame.

Tentatively Jareth passed an arm through the bars and reached a gloved hand out towards the Elf. Legolas did not move to escape his touch as he stroked a finger across his cheek, much to Jareth's surprise, in fact he seemed to lean into the touch, shocking the Goblin King.

Mismatched eyes flew wide in surprise though as the blond Elf gripped his hand in his own and tore the glove from it, throwing it clear across the room in frustration as he pressed the now bare flesh of Jareth palm to his cheek.

Jareth watched with interest as Legolas covered his hand with both of his and continued to nuzzle his face into his hand as if seeking something desperately from him.

"Don't leave me here alone in the darkness again." Legolas pleaded quietly. "Nothing lives down here. There is only stone and metal, there is not even water Jareth…please. I need to feel life again……I need to know that I'm alive…"

Legolas dropped his gaze, embarrassed by how needy he must sound in the presence of the one who was holding him captive but he was truly desperate at that point. He did not feel he would last a second round of solitude in the stone dungeon.

Jareth suddenly pulled his hand from Legolas and the Elf almost whimpered at the loss of contact but he managed to swallow the sound, fearful of showing any more weakness before his captor.

The Goblin King stepped back and for a moment Legolas was terrified that he would leave. Instead he heard the click of a lock and the door to his cell swung open. As he opened the cell door Jareth was ready for Legolas to come rushing from his prison and possibly disappearing up the stairs, after which he was guessing he would have to take up pursuit again.

What Jareth was not prepared for was to have the Elf burst from the cell and throw himself upon him; desperate hands tearing at the front of his shirt as he tugged it wide open and pressed cold hands against the warmth of Jareth's chest. The hands quickly sought out the now rapidly beating heart of the Goblin King and pressed hard against it, feeling the pulse race beneath his finger tips Legolas sighed heavily and allowed his eyes to flutter closed.

Wide eyes, one blue the other dark, started down at the Elf in disbelief as he felt cold hands roam across his bared chest. Behaviour he would have found appealing from the Elf only hours before seemed strangely disconcerting now.

It took Jareth only moments to regain his composure as he watched the Elf's breathing slowly level out, Legolas seemingly to take comfort in Jareth's life force. So Elves needed to be around living things it would seem. Of course being a Woodland Elf Legolas would be very accustomed to having life about him all the time. He really had no idea that locking him in a stone prison would have such an affect on the Elf, not that he was truly complaining.

Jareth smirked as he casually slipped his arms about the Elf and drew him closer. Legolas' breathing hitched at first but he did not struggle nor fight against him and so Jareth, still smirking at his small and unexpected triumph, transported them back up to his throne room.

* * *

"Aragorn! Slow down! I know we have to find Legolas but we've been at this for hours and we can't keep up with you anymore!" Merry called out to Aragorn who was striding out ahead of them.

"All the more reason to hurry Merry, there probably isn't much time left."

And so Aragorn kept on with his hurried pace, Boromir being the only other who could still make this pace with relative ease.

They rounded another corner and came face to face with a dead end. The two Hobbits collided with the back of Boromir's legs as they failed to stop as quickly as the two Men and the Dwarf.

"No!" Aragorn screamed and banged his fists against the stone wall. "No! No! No! No!" He continued to pound his fists against the rock and as he did the others heard a low rumbling noise. They all stepped back, including Aragorn, as the rumble grew louder and the ground began to shake.

"If we end up down another hole…" Boromir started but stopped as the wall before them began to move.

They starred in disbelief as an enormous lizard, its skin the light tan of the stone walls surrounding them, picked itself up from the spot it had been laying and slowly shuffled away, leaving an opening where there had been none before.

"Perhaps you should try banging your fists on all the walls from now on." Gimli finally spoke up.

"My mother always said nothing is as it seems in the Labyrinth" Merry added.

"Kind of you to share that with us before." Pippin muttered before receiving the back of Merry's hand across the back of his head.

"I say we press on and hope this kind of luck continues on our side." Aragorn said as he proceeded to lead them through the new gap in the wall.

The group found themselves looking out into a dense forest, the ground littered with leaves and gnarled tree roots. Tiny eyes belonging to all manner of creatures starred out at the new intruders and the small group unconsciously bunched closer together.

"I thought this was supposed to be a maze." Boromir grumbled.

"It's a Labyrinth." Merry corrected.

"It's the same thing." Boromir objected.

"Oh would you two knock it off!" Aragorn hissed as they made their way deeper into the gloom of the forest.

The light from outside became dimmer and dimmer as the thick canopy above them cut of the sun's light. Soon only thin slivers of light managed to penetrate the dense foliage and the group was beginning to have trouble navigating their way through the forest.

"How do we know we're not going in circles?" Pippin finally asked, after they had been walking for some time.

"We don't but we really have no other choice do we, unless you can think of a better way to get out of here."

Without warning Gimli swung his axe in an arc, coming down against the thick trunk of one of the trees. A horrible shriek went up from the fauna and it seemed to try to cower away from the Dwarf standing at its base, now leaning against his axe.

"Alright tree or whatever you may be. We're sick of wandering about this here forest trying to find a way out. Now either you and your…….fellow trees show us the way out of here that will bring us closest to the Goblin King's castle, or I continue to let my axe bite into your trunk." Gimli's gruff voice boomed throughout the forest, the place having fallen eerily silent since the tree had cried out.

It shrieked again, but more quietly this time, and it trembled in the spot it was rooted to. Gimli waited patiently for it to do something other than quiver and as his patience began to run out he lifted his axe again and as he was about to strike the tree moved one of its large lower branches, positioning it so that the tree seemed to be pointing off to Gimli's right.

Slowly all the trees in line with this branch began to manoeuvre their branches in a similar fashion until a tunnel of sorts had been formed, presumably leading out of the forest and towards the castle beyond the Goblin city.

"Well done Gimli!" Boromir laughed as he slapped the Dwarf good-heartedly on the back.

"Lets get out of here then." Aragorn said with a smile.

So the small group hurried off down the corridor of trees, hoping to escape the darkness of the forest they had been stuck wandering in. It was not long before they could see light again and so broke out into a run, hurrying towards the forest's end.

Bursting from the dense tree cover they found themselves on the edge of a wide crevasse with no way across save for an old wooden bring off to their right.

"Oh what now!" Boromir threw his arms up in exasperation.

"The castle at the centre of the Labyrinth." Merry breathed.

"What?" Aragorn looked down at the Hobbit.

"Look! Over the other side! There it is can you see it? In the middle of the Goblin city, there's the Goblin King's castle.

They all followed Merry's gaze out over the gorge before them and the sight brought smiles to all their faces. They indeed had almost reached Jareth's castle. Only a wooden bridge, a dirt road, a set of large gates and the Goblin city separated them from their destination. The only question that remained was how long did they have to reach the castle before it was too late?


	10. Thirteen Hours

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Ten  
Thirteen Hours

"Why does everything in this dismal place look like it was built 200 years ago and never maintained properly?" Boromir grumbled as he kicked a stone off the edge of the cliff and watched it plummet towards the gorge's bottom.

"Well it's seems to be the only way across Boromir so we're just going to have to hope that the bridge holds out." Aragorn said through gritted teeth as he inspected the ropes holding up this side of the bridge.

The other man was starting to really grate on his nerves, especially seeing as this whole incident was his doing. Still Aragorn knew for sure they must be running out of time and didn't want to waste precious time arguing with the Steward's son.

Warily Aragorn stepped out onto the old bridge. It creaked loudly under his added weight and he held his breath as he brought his other foot forward to join the first. He took a few more steps out onto the bridge and when he was sure the structure was not going to disappear from beneath his feet he turned back to face the others.

"Perhaps it might be best if we cross one by one. I'm not sure how much weight this bridge can hold."

Merry and Pippin exchanged a worried look as they watched Aragorn slowly make his way across the worn bridge, knowing that they soon would also have to make what appeared to be a rather perilous crossing.

* * *

They had been in the throne room no more than a few moments before Legolas wrenched himself from Jareth's hold and ran for the open window. He stuck his head out into the fresh air and breathed in deeply, relishing the feeling of the wind as it caressed his face and tussled his hair.

His hands griped the stone ledge in front of him and his grip tightened considerably as he suddenly felt a warm weight pressed up against his back. His spine stiffened as hot breath tickled his sensitive ear and he felt an arm slip about his waist.

"Now why the sudden resistance Legolas. You didn't seem so objectionable when we were down in the dungeon." Jareth whispered huskily into his ear.

"That's not fair. I was……" Legolas struggled to put the way he had felt, trapped in that dungeon, into words but was having no immediate success.

"You cannot stand there and tell me that you were vulnerable and that I took advantage of you." Jareth taunted the Elf.

Legolas spun around, still pinned between the windowsill and Jareth's body, to face the Goblin King. Anger flared brightly in his eyes and Jareth smirked at his reaction, raising an eyebrow and daring the Elf to come up with another explanation.

"No you didn't, I never said you did. It's just…down in the cell…I don't take well to confinement in stone prisons. I needed to feel…"

"Life." Jareth finished for him as he leaned further into the Elf. "You needed to feel my heart beating against your flesh and can you honestly tell me you didn't like it?" He whispered against Legolas' ear and felt the Elf shudder slightly.

Legolas pushed Jareth back from him enough so that he could glare defiantly at him, before he ducked under the monarch's arms and escaped to the other side of the room.

Jareth growled quietly in frustration but was determined not to let Legolas simply walk from this one.

"So nothing?"

"You make it very hard to like you Jareth." Legolas accused as he sat himself in the Goblin King's throne.

"I never asked if you liked me fair Prince. What I asked was whether or not you were attracted to me."

Legolas looked up at Jareth from the other side of the room, the Goblin King leaning against the wall by the window that looked out over the entrance to the Goblin city. He allowed his eyes to sweep up and down Jareth's form. He had permitted himself such looks before but made an obvious point of it now. As his eyes reached the beautifully sculpted face of the Goblin King he was met with a sly smirk and mismatched eyes that knew too much.

"In another time and place, yes I would be attracted to you." Legolas finally admitted, but this did not seem to satisfy Jareth.

"What does that mean exactly?"

"So you can answer in riddles but I cannot?" Legolas protested.

"My kingdom, my rules." Jareth stated with a raised eyebrow and the flip of a slender hand.

Legolas glared at him but when the Goblin King refused to respond he sighed in frustration.

"It's difficult to allow yourself an attraction to the man holding you captive."

"Ah."

"Were we to have met under different circumstances I probably would have been attracted to you. However as it is now I resent you for holding me prisoner here against my will."

Jareth feigned a hurt look and tipped his head to the side before pushing himself off the wall and crossing the small throne room. He seated himself on the arm of his throne but did not encroach upon the Elf any further.

"Surely that is nothing to hold against me. After all I am only doing my job."

Legolas snorted at that and turned away from Jareth, disgusted by the fact that he would consider preforming such tasks as a job.

"So in all fairness you are not really my prisoner."

Jareth reached a hand out to cup the Elf's fair face but Legolas sensed it coming and quickly rose up out of the throne. Whirling to face the Goblin King Legolas stalked up to him and glared down at him.

"You are forcing my friends to run through your Labyrinth, delaying an extremely important task we have taken on in Middle Earth and you expect me to what? Fall to my knees before you?"

Jareth smirked ferrely and flicked a tongue out to wet his lips.

"No I do not expect you to. I want you to, but by no means do I expect it of you. In fact I expect you to fight me as you have been doing since I brought you here."

Legolas groaned in frustration and stalked to the other side of the room as Jareth laughed loudly behind him. Clearly he had only managed to encourage the Fae to pursue him more eagerly.

"Surely you do not find me that repulsive."

"I have already answered that question for you Jareth."

"No you answered my question for another time and place. Here now with, as you so aptly put it, you as my prisoner and I your captor; am I really all that repulsive to you?"

"No."

Jareth raised an eyebrow at the frankness of the reply but said nothing as he waited for the Elf to continue.

"But I object to what you are doing to myself and my companions and so I will continue to deny you what you clearly want."

"And perhaps what you want?"

Legolas chose to ignore the comment and instead returned to his spot looking out the window while Jareth sighed in frustration for the second time in as many minutes and slipped off the arm of his throne to sit in it.

Legolas let the cool wind blowing in through the stone arch to sooth his boiling blood, everything that Jareth has said had hit far too close to the truth for Legolas' liking and he was angry at himself for betraying so much to his captor.

He stared out over the Goblin city and his eyes widened as he spotted movement far off in the distance on the closer side of a deep abyss by an old looking bridge. He straightened slightly and lent out the window slightly to get a better look.

"Aragorn." He breathed as he recognised the five figures now making their way up the long dirt road that would lead them to the city's entrance.

"What?" Jareth looked up from his spot lounging in his throne.

Legolas did not respond but Jareth didn't need him too, he had heard exactly what the Elf said the first time. He leapt up from his throne and strode across the stone floor on long elegant legs. He stepped in behind Legolas and peered out the window over the Elf's shoulder.

What he expected to see was the party of five to be making their way through the Goblin city towards his castle. Instead what he saw was nothing, no matter where he looked or how far out the window he leaned he could not see what the Elf seemed to be focusing on.

"Wishful thinking Legolas." Jareth breathed into Legolas' ear.

Legolas smirked, his eyes still focused on the small group hurrying down the dirt road.

"You're wrong Jareth. I think you have lost this challenge."

Jareth looked across at the Elf in confusion and Legolas turned to him with a bright smile.

"My Elven eyes see far further than yours Goblin King."

"You can see them from here, can't you?" Jareth said through gritted teeth. "They're headed this way, aren't they?"

Legolas only continued to smile, enjoying the look of furious frustration on Jareth's face.

"You loose." Legolas whispered to him.

Suddenly, piercing the quiet and echoing off the stone walls, the chime of an ancient clock caused Legolas' eyes to fly wide open and both the Elven Prince and the Goblin King to turn their attention to the clock hanging on the throne room wall. It's hands were at the thirteenth hour and as realization hit him Legolas sunk to the floor as though his muscles had suddenly forgotten how to hold his weight up.

Jareth smirked down at the Elf now kneeling in disbelief on the stone floor. He crouched down before him and took the Elf's chin between his thumb and index finger, raising his eyes till they met his own.

"No my beautiful Prince, you loose."

Then Jareth was gone, leaving a stunned Legolas sitting on the floor wondering what was to become of him now.

* * *

"The Goblin City is a lot smaller than I thought it would be." Merry muttered as they walked, uninhibited through the large gates to the city.

The five looked around, weapons drawn for any sign of guards or an army to put a halt to their advances. The city was eerily quiet and Aragorn wasn't sure whether or not this should worry him. After all, for all he knew about Goblins they could be nocturnal.

However all thoughts of the stillness of the Goblin city were stripped from his mind as the silence was penetrated by the chiming of a clock. It rang out through the city and the group spun around to find its source.

Standing behind them was Jareth a satisfied smirk gracing his face as the ornate clock suspended in the air beside him chimed out its thirteen hours.

Horror replaced shock on the faces of the diminished Fellowship as the thirteenth chime rang out. Jareth stepped gracefully towards them and looked down at them in a very gloating manner.

"It looks like you've lost."

"No." Boromir breathed.

"But…but we're in the Goblin city." Pippin objected.

"But you have failed to reach the castle at its center in the thirteen hours allocated to you. Therefore you loose, I win and you shall be sent back to Middle Earth without your Elven companion. He belongs to me now." Jareth finished with a devilish smirk and watched in satisfaction as a look of horror spread over Aragorn's face.

"Wait! Surely there is something else we can do! This can't be it, you cannot just keep Legolas here." Aragorn argued furiously.

"I'm afraid I can Aragorn. As per the agreement made by your friend Boromir here." Jareth winked over at the other man who growled in helpless frustration.

Aragorn shook his head in disbelief and Gimli raised his axe in a threatening manner, which Jareth choose to ignore in favour of smiling maliciously as he enjoyed his victory. As far as his Labyrinth went he still maintained a relatively perfect record, still only one had beaten him but that was something he had put behind him, for now.

"Well it has been fun watching you all run hopelessly through my Labyrinth but I'm afraid it is time for you to return home."

The wave of a hand was all it took for Jareth to open the portal between the Underground and Middle Earth and with a final smirk from the Goblin King the group of five were swept from the strange world of the Underground and back to their own.


	11. Striking A Bargain

**The Most Unlikely Foe**

Author's Note:  
And here is the final instalment, up as quickly as could be. Thank you so much to all of you for your reviews, especially of the last few chapters; it would seem the story finally gained a few fans towards its end.  
And especially for you Ashes2, for being such a reliable and lovely reviewer, I have some Jareth/Lego action (well as much as the current rating will permit). I do hope it helps to fulfil your fangirl dreams.  
Hopefully you will enjoy the final chapter of this and please review; it really is lovely when you do.

Eleven  
Striking A Bargain

With the distraction of the smaller Fellowship running his Labyrinth disposed of Jareth looked forward to returning to his castle to deal with his new acquisition and so wasted no time in transporting himself back into his throne room.

"Now, now Legolas. I really thought we were past all this." Jareth sighed heavily as he appeared in his throne room to see Legolas perched precariously on the window ledge.

"We were. But that was before my companions failed to complete your Labyrinth in time."

"You, wont. I know you wont, you didn't before and you wont now. You have something keeping you here, don't you?" Jareth lent casually against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.

"I did before but as I am now trapped here in this world my purpose has been stripped from me and I assume our quest will continue on without me. So I really have nothing keeping me here now."

Legolas keep his eyes on Jareth while he swung his legs out over the edge of the window. Jareth lunged forward slightly but halted his steps when he realised the Elf was smiling at him with mocking eyes. Jareth narrowed his eyes in anger both at the Elf perched in the window and at himself for behaving in such an unrestrained manner.

"Would you be upset if I threw myself out the window?" Legolas questioned as he tipped his head to the side like a curious sparrow.

"I don't know if upset is the quite the word I would choose to use. But I can't say I would approve of you throwing yourself out the window. I would certainly be very disappointed."

"Well then Goblin King I have a proposition for you."

Jareth raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the strange gleam in Legolas' eyes.

"Very well, I'm listening."

"Now that the tables have turned in your favour you stand between me and my freedom to return to Middle Earth and continue with our quest."

"Oh you wont be going anywhere Legolas. I can assure you of that."

"Wait until I've finished before you answer. Now if you truly do intend to keep me trapped here in your castle for all of eternity…"

Jareth smiled and nodded, interrupting the Prince once again in his explanation.

"…then I have little reason not to throw myself out the window."

Now it was Legolas' turn to smile as the cocky smirk slipped from Jareth's face.

"That doesn't sound like much of a proposition." Jareth said as he took a cautious step forward.

"That's because you keep interrupting me before I can finish. Now they way I see it you have one other option regarding me, set me free or I'll jump."

Jareth only laughed and this served to unnerve Legolas slightly.

"As much as I would hate to see you splattered across my courtyard Legolas I'm afraid I can't set you free without receiving something from you. A trade if you will, your freedom for something I want."

Legolas sat on the window ledge for a few moments contemplating his options. He didn't particularly want to end his life, in fact up to this point he'd been rather enjoying it. However if it meant spending the rest of his immortality here then it was probably the better option. But then hadn't Jareth said something about a trade for his freedom?

"You mentioned a trade…my freedom for something you want, yes?"

Jareth nodded slowly a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Very well Goblin King." Legolas raised his head and straightened his back as he leapt gracefully back to the stone floor of the throne room. "If you agree to set me free once I have completed my end of the bargain I will…"

The Elf faltered slightly before bright blue eyes locked with Jareth's odd one's, the enlarged pupil seeming to pull him in as he stared into it. Jareth waited patiently as the Elf seemed to loose himself for a moment before gathering his thoughts and finally continuing.

"In exchange for my freedom I will go willingly into your bed for you to do with as you please for one night." A pink tongue flicked out to wet dry lips as blue eyes roamed over the lithe body before him.

Legolas sauntered up to Jareth as he spoke, he could certainly be flirtatious and provocative when he wanted to be. Jareth was yet to see this side of the Elf and was quite surprised when Legolas draped himself along Jareth's chest, slipping a delicate hand into the open front of the Goblin King's shirt and tracing long fingers teasingly across his pale chest.

Jareth raised an eyebrow but did nothing to halt the Elf's advances. If Legolas wanted to begin feeling him up in the middle of his throne room he was certainly not going to be the one to stop him. Legolas pressed his body hard up against Jareth's and the Goblin King couldn't hold back the tiny moan that escaped his lips as he did. The Elf lent in even further and brushed his lips over Jareth's, flicking his tongue out to taste the Goblin King before the lips parted and his tongue was meet by Jareth's. Jareth broke the delicate teasing kiss with a smirk, brushing the back of his hand down Legolas' cheek as he spoke.

"And what if I decide, upon completion of our shared night together, that I do not want to send you back to Middle Earth? What if I decide to keep you for myself?"

Legolas backed away from Jareth, the sensual smile that has graced his lips only seconds before now turned down in an icy frown. He put a good amount of space between himself and the Goblin King, all the while staring him down with a cold look.

"You cannot. If you make this deal with me you must bind yourself to your word with your own magic, then if you break it you will suffer a fate which I will choose."

"It really sounds as though you are getting the better end of this deal Legolas. I could take you right now without your consent if I chose too, then you would not get the end of any deal."

"But you wont, I can see it in your eyes. You would rather see me arch beneath you, my golden hair spilt across your pillow, your name falling from my lips, as I act as a willing partner in your bed. Wouldn't you. You really have no desire to see me broken and unwilling do you?"

Jareth shuddered visibly at the pleasurable images Legolas' words were conjuring in his mind, however the Elf was too close to the truth for Jareth to enjoy them for long. Though he hated to admit it the Elf was in a fantastic bargaining position. If he didn't agree to his requests the only way he could have the Elf was unwillingly and that he did not want, not to mention he didn't doubt that the Elf would throw himself from the castle's window if he believed there was no hope of returning to Middle Earth, and what a tragic waste that would be. However he didn't wish to share one night with him only to have to send him home the next day. Then again perhaps it was better than nothing and the Elf did say he would be willing for the entire night did he not? A smirk tugged at the corners of Jareth's mouth as he took a step towards Legolas.

"Very well Prince of Mirkwood, you have yourself a deal."

Legolas was not entirely comfortable with the smirk on Jareth's face.

"You are agreeing that in exchange for my willing partnership in your bed you will return me to Middle Earth come tomorrow morning."

"That was the deal." Jareth said, barring sharp canines.

"And if you fail to keep your word you will give up your magic forever."

Jareth raised an eyebrow. The Elf certainly knew how to strike a bargain in his own favour, once committed to such a deal he could not afford to go back on his word, without his magic……well Jareth didn't even want to contemplate the disastrous results that would come of that.

"Well?" Legolas asked impatiently.

"You have my word fair Elven Prince."

With nothing but those words spoken the deal was sealed and Jareth closed the distance between himself and Legolas in few purposeful strides. Legolas did not move nor shy away as Jareth pressed up against him and snaked an arm around his waist. Jareth lowered hungry lips to the Elf's pale neck and trailed hot kisses along the smooth flesh, nipping occasionally and delighting in the soft moans escaping Legolas' throat.

Their lips met in a hungry and demanding kiss and Jareth was most pleased to find the Elf not only allowing him to kiss him but also responding. Not only was he returning Jareth's kisses but Legolas was playing the submissive role Jareth desired of him; so the Elf was truly going to make Jareth's end of this deal worth his time, of all things so far that Jareth was most pleased with.

Jareth began to slowly back the Elf in his arms towards the wall until Legolas' back collided with the cold stone and he gasped slightly in surprise. The sweet and unexpected sound served to further arouse Jareth and he eagerly slipped a knee in between Legolas' legs, forcing them apart just enough for him to stimulate the Elf with his knee.

A groan rumbled deep in Legolas' chest as Jareth slipped his knee between his legs. The Goblin King fisted his hand in the Elf's golden locks and forced his head back, exposing his neck to him once again. Jareth traced sharp canines over the Elf's taunt pale skin, flicking a wet tongue out over the vein that throbbed in the Elf's neck before pointed fangs pierced the skin. Legolas cried out in surprise but it quickly turned to a moan as Jareth's tongue returned to lap at the small wound, soothing it until it bled no more.

Suddenly Jareth pulled back from Legolas and smirked as the Elf stared back at him with heavy lidded eyes darkened by lust.

"I think I should like to move this to my chambers now."

Legolas said nothing in reply but his breathing had certainly quickened and he was pressing his body tightly to Jareth's. The Goblin King wrapped both arms tightly about the Elf and transported them to his bedchambers; right now he did not have time for stairs or long winding passageways.

Legolas looked about in surprise while the Goblin King chuckled deep in his throat. He then threw the Elven Prince to his enormous bed in a most lustful manner before crawling up to him and covering his body with his own, where they resumed the exchange of fiery kisses they had broken before.

With the wave of a delicate hand Jareth dispensed of both his own and Legolas' clothing, leaving the Goblin King lying naked atop the now exposed Elf; two lithe naked bodies pressing against each other in desperation, crying without sound for release. Jareth trailed hot kisses down over the Elf's bare chest before raising up on both hands, straightened arms supporting his weight as he hung about the Elf's body. Hungry eyes swept over the beautiful figure beneath him and Jareth smirked ferrely as he thought of all the ways he would enjoy the Elf throughout the night.

"You know Legolas. You really are quite striking." Jareth breathed into the Elf's ear as he lowered his body back down to continue his trail of kisses down Legolas' body.

* * *

Frodo and Sam finished packing their belongings and threw them into the Elven canoe. They prepared to launch the vessel into the fast flowing river when the heard several loud thumps close behind them.

Both jumped in surprise and spun around to find, much to their surprise, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, Merry and Pippin all in a pile on the rocky ground.

"Get off me!" Gimli grumbled as he tried to pitch Boromir off his back.

The man stood up and dusted himself off before helping the others to their feet. Aragorn was the first to spot the two Hobbit's standing by the waters edge.

"What are you two still doing here?" He sounded most shocked by their presence and the Hobbits couldn't understand why.

"What do you mean what are we still doing here?" Sam questioned. "You're the ones who are back early, I thought it took thirteen hour to run that Labyrinth and you've only been gone just over ten minutes."

It suddenly dawned on Aragorn that that passage of time in their world and that of the Underground must be different.

"We have been gone for thirteen hours but you say it has been more like thirteen minutes?" He quickly questioned the Hobbits.

They both exchanged a look before nodding.

"Where's Legolas?" Fordo said as he glanced around in search of the Elf.

"We lost I'm afraid." Aragorn stated glumly as he began to prepare the other boats for launch.

"You mean Legolas…"

"He's not coming with us." Boromir added as he threw their belonging into the two canoes Aragorn had dragged to the water.

Sam and Frodo glanced over at Merry and Pippin who hung their heads as they walked past them.

It took them some time to load everything into the canoes as none was really in much of a mood for doing anything. It was a good while before the downcast Fellowship, now yet another member down, was just about ready to set off again.

In a most downcast manner the Fellowship loaded themselves into the swift Elven canoes. Boromir took Merry and Pippin with him in one while Aragorn instructed Frodo and Sam to sit in the canoes he would paddle. Gimli was going to have to go in one on his own but maintained he would do fine paddling it without his Elven companion.

As Aragorn took the back of the boat in which Gimli was now seated and prepared to launch it into the water a voice behind him halted his actions.

"You expect Gimli to paddle an Elven canoe all on his own?"

Aragorn spun on his heal to find his Elven friend standing, unharmed and with a smile upon his face, behind him.

"Legolas?"

The Elf smiled at Aragorn as he passed by him and stepped into the canoe, balancing with perfect grace.

"Don't worry Gimli I'll be sure to get us where we're going with no trouble at all."

"Ahh it is good to have you back Elf!" Gimli grinned up at Legolas.

Aragorn launched the boat before hurrying over to clamber into his own.

"But Legolas…how did you get away? You were his, he said so himself."

"That really is something I'd rather not discuss right now thank you Aragorn." Legolas replied in all seriousness, wincing slightly as he sat himself down in the small boat.

The tiny wince of pain certainly didn't escape Aragorn but when the Elf only smiled at him he assumed the topic was, for now, closed for discussion. As it was now it was simply good to have the Elven member of their party back, they could do with his help more than he would ever admit to.

And so the Fellowship, numbers back up to eight, set off down the river towards the Falls of Rauros and the rest of their quest that waited for them beyond.

END


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